Food Safety Gap: NiCFoST Seeks Mandatory Role for Professionals in Public Procurements By Esther Bola

The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) has called for the mandatory involvement of licensed food science and technology professionals in the implementation of Nigeria’s National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services.

The council made the demand during a strategic courtesy visit to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in Abuja on Tuesday, where it presented expert recommendations on the newly unveiled guidelines.

Receiving the delegation, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the BPP, Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun, FCIPS, commended NiCFoST for what he described as its professionalism, patriotism and proactive engagement.

Chie Executive Officer of the BPP, Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun, (FCIPS) with Mrs Veronica Eze The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NiCFoST in Abuja

Adedokun said public procurement should be viewed not simply as a mechanism for ensuring compliance, but as a strategic instrument for national development, economic growth and the protection of public health.

He assured the council that the BPP would work with NiCFoST and carefully examine its recommendations for possible incorporation into the implementation of the national guidelines.

The BPP chief stressed the importance of collaboration among relevant professional and regulatory bodies in ensuring that public expenditure delivers value while protecting the health and welfare of citizens.

He also said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, remained committed to strengthening quality assurance in food procurement and promoting access to safe, nutritious and healthy diets.

Adedokun noted that the guidelines, having been developed within the framework of an Act of Parliament, should be fully implemented and periodically reviewed to reflect emerging needs and standards.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NiCFoST, Mrs Veronica Eze, commended the federal government and the BPP for producing and launching the guidelines.

Eze said "NiCFoST, established in 2019, was statutorily responsible for regulating and advancing the practice of food science and technology in Nigeria.

She said the council's review of the guidelines had identified a significant professional gap: while the document provides for procurement procedures and food safety requirements, it does not expressly recognise the role of licensed food science and technology professionals in delivering those requirements.

“While the guidelines comprehensively address procurement processes and food safety requirements, they do not expressly recognise the role of licensed Food Science and Technology professionals,” Eze said.

She argued that ensuring food safety should extend beyond the procurement process to the entire food value chain, including processing, preservation, packaging, storage, transportation, preparation and distribution.

“Procurement procedures determine how food is procured. Food Science and Technology practice ensures that the food being procured is safe, nutritious, wholesome and fit for human consumption,” she said.

NiCFoST therefore urged the BPP to formally recognise the council as a technical stakeholder in the implementation, review and capacity-building components of the national guidelines.

The council specifically called for the registration, licensing and deployment of qualified food science and technology professionals in public food procurement.

It also urged the BPP to promote the engagement of professionally managed and duly regulated food vendors at federal, state and local government levels, while supporting efforts to address existing professional gaps within the food sector.

The meeting ended with an agreement by both institutions to establish a Joint Technical Working Framework to strengthen compliance, monitoring and evaluation of food procurement processes across the country.

The proposed framework is expected to provide a platform for sustained technical collaboration between the two bodies as Nigeria moves to improve standards in public food procurement.


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